Lazio

Lazio is one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy. It is found in the central part of the country and has over 5 million people living there. Lazio is very important because it is the home of Rome, the capital city of Italy. Rome is not only the capital of Italy but has also been very important throughout history.

Lazio has a long and rich history. It was once home to the Etruscan people and later became the center of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Many great artists and important people lived and worked in Rome, especially during the Italian Renaissance.

After World War II, Lazio and Italy grew quickly, especially in Rome. Today, Lazio is a busy place with many jobs in services, trade, industry, and tourism. It has good transportation, which helps it stay important in the middle of the Italian Peninsula.

History

For the history of ancient Lazio, see Latium.

Geography

Lazio covers an area of 17,242 km² and shares borders with Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The land is mostly hilly and mountainous, with some flat areas along the coast and around the Tiber River.

Relief map of Lazio

The coast has sandy beaches and includes places like Cape Circeo and Gaeta. The Pontine Islands are part of Lazio and lie off the southern coast. Near Rome, there is a large flat area called the Roman Campagna. The region's mountains include the Alban Hills and others made from old volcanic craters, which now hold lakes such as Bolsena, Vico, and Bracciano.

Climate

Panorama of the Aniene Valley

Lazio has different climates depending on the area. Along the coast, the weather is warm and sunny, like a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot summers. Inland, the climate is cooler, especially in the winter nights. Rome, the capital, gets plenty of sunshine throughout the year.

Demographics

As of 2026, the population of Lazio is 5,709,444 people. About half are male and half are female. Many people live close together, with 331 people for every square kilometer, which is more than the rest of Italy.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1861	355,682	—
1871	1,173,065	+229.8%
1881	1,256,876	+7.1%
1901	1,585,907	+26.2%
1911	1,770,869	+11.7%
1921	1,997,045	+12.8%
1931	2,348,699	+17.6%
1936	2,654,924	+13.0%
1951	3,340,798	+25.8%
1961	3,958,957	+18.5%
1971	4,689,482	+18.5%
1981	5,001,684	+6.7%
1991	5,140,371	+2.8%
2001	5,112,413	−0.5%
2011	5,502,886	+7.6%
2021	5,714,882	+3.9%
Source: ISTAT

Largest cities or towns in Lazio Source: ISTAT - 1 January 2026
Rank		Province	Pop.	Rank		Province	Pop.
1	Rome	Rome	2,745,062	11	Ardea	Rome	51,374
2	Latina	Latina	127,450	12	Civitavecchia	Rome	51,359
3	Guidonia Montecelio	Rome	89,420	13	Nettuno	Rome	48,111
4	Fiumicino	Rome	83,415	14	Marino	Rome	46,667
5	Aprilia	Latina	74,697	15	Terracina	Latina	45,055
6	Viterbo	Viterbo	66,767	16	Rieti	Rieti	44,866
7	Pomezia	Rome	64,970	17	Frosinone	Frosinone	42,836
8	Anzio	Rome	60,063	18	Monterotondo	Rome	41,185
9	Tivoli	Rome	55,321	19	Ladispoli	Rome	40,968
10	Velletri	Rome	53,048	20	Fondi	Latina	40,310

Foreign population by country of birth (2025)
Country of birth	Population
Romania	158,002
Bangladesh	44,319
Philippines	37,472
India	32,282
Ukraine	29,348
Albania	28,461
Egypt	23,325
Peru	20,908
China	18,363
Poland	17,761
Moldova	17,693
Morocco	16,273
Brazil	13,899
France	12,597
Germany	12,289

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Lazio

Lazio uses a system where people choose leaders to make decisions for them. The leader of the region is called the President, and they work with a group of people to help run things. There is also a group called the Regional Council that helps make laws.

Rome, the capital city, usually leans toward one group of leaders, while other parts of Lazio lean toward another group. In past elections, people in Lazio have voted for different groups of leaders.

The current president of Lazio is Francesco Rocca, who is not part of a specific group but used to lead an important international organization that helps people in need.

Administrative divisions

Lazio is divided into four areas and one big city area:

Province	Population (2026)	Area (km²)	Density (inh./km²)	Municipalities
Province of Frosinone	460,266	3,247.08	141.7	91
Province of Latina	567,130	2,256.16	251.4	33
Province of Rieti	149,335	2,750.52	54.3	73
Metropolitan City of Rome Capital	4,224,901	5,363.28	787.7	121
Province of Viterbo	307,812	3,615.24	85.1	60

Economy

Lazio has many traditional ways of making a living, such as growing crops, crafting items, raising animals, and fishing. The region is especially known for growing kiwifruit, which is the main fruit grown there.

Most people in Lazio work in services like government, media, and tourism. Rome, the capital, is a big hub for many companies and services. The region did well during tough economic times but faced challenges during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Industry in Lazio is mostly found south of Rome, influenced by transportation links and energy supplies. Rome's main airport, Fiumicino, is very busy, serving many travelers.

Industry

Headquarters of Eni in EUR, Rome

Industry in Lazio makes up a small part of the economy. Most businesses are small and focus on areas like oil refining, car making, boat building, engineering, electronics, and construction. There is also research in high technology fields.

Consumer goods

Lazio is known for making household products, medicines, and hygiene goods.

Space

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Lazio has companies that work on space projects, making rocket parts and satellite services.

Agriculture

Lazio grows many fruits, especially kiwifruit and hazelnuts. The region is a big producer of these fruits.

Animal husbandry

Travertine

Lazio raises sheep and buffalo mainly for milk used in cheese making.

Viticulture

Lazio has many vineyards, mostly growing white grapes for wine.

Tourism

Kiwifruit

Lazio is a popular place to visit, especially for its historic sites like the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. People also come for beaches, skiing, and beautiful villages. Rome is the most visited city in Italy, with many famous landmarks.

Statistics

Lazio has many businesses, making up a good part of Italy's total.

Unemployment

In 2022, the unemployment rate in Lazio was 7.7%.


Cereals	Cultivated area, ha
Durum wheat	53,398
Barley	14,294
Wheat	12,850
Maize	11,720
Oats	5,635


2019	Italy	Share %	Lazio	Share %	% Lazio in Italian Total
Cattle	5,974,947	26.0%	202,124	18.4%	3.4%
Buffalo	402,286	1.8%	60,821	5.5%	15.1%
Sheep	7,000,880	30.5%	750,529	68.2%	10.7%
Goats	1,058,720	4.6%	35,194	3.2%	3.3%
Pigs	8,510,268	37.1%	51,740	4.7%	0.6%
Total	22,947,101	100.0%	1,100,408	100.0%	4.8%


	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Lazio	181.204,9	181,750.8	183.417,6	190,600.4	193,796.8

Macro-economic activity	Product GDP	% sector on regional GDP	% sector on Italian GDP
Agriculture, forestry, fishing	€1,709.3	1.06%	1.84%
Industry in the strict sense	€14,208.2	8.85%	18.30%
Buildings	€6,872.1	4.28%	5.41%
Commerce, repairs, hotels and restaurants, transport and communications	€37,305.5	23.24%	20.54%
Monetary and financial intermediation; real estate and entrepreneurial activities	€45,100.7	28.10%	24.17%
Other service activities	€39,411.8	24.55%	18.97%
VAT, net indirect taxes on products and taxes on imports	€15,909.9	9.91%	10.76%
Lazio GDP at market prices	€160,517.5

Year	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
unemployment rate (in %)	7.5%	6.4%	7.5%	8.4%	9.2%	8.7%	10.6%	12.0%	12.5%	11.8%	11.1%	10.7%	11.2%	9.9%	9.1%	10.0%	7.7%

Cuisine

Main article: Roman cuisine

Lazio is famous for its delicious food, especially pasta. Some popular pasta dishes from this area include Spaghetti alla carbonara, Bucatini all'amatriciana, Penne all'arrabbiata, and Spaghetti alla gricia. A special ingredient used in many sauces is guanciale, which comes from the cheek of a pig and has a unique flavor.

Vegetables are also important in Lazio's cooking. Artichokes are very popular and are prepared in different ways, like Carciofi alla romana and Carciofi alla giudia. Other favorite vegetables include Romanesco broccoli, asparagus, fava bean, cima di rapa, romaine lettuce, pumpkin, zucchini, and chicory.

Spices are widely used in Lazio's kitchen. Common ones include lesser cat-mint, squaw mint, laurel, rosemary, sage, juniper, chili, and grated truffle.

Traditional meat dishes include saltimbocca alla romana, which is veal wrapped with prosciutto di Parma and sage, and abbacchio alla romana, roasted lamb seasoned with garlic, rosemary, pepper, and prosciutto.

Sports

The region is home to two famous football clubs, SS Lazio and AS Roma, both playing in the top Italian league, Serie A. Together, they have won five Italian championships, with Roma winning three and Lazio two. Their main stadium is Stadio Olimpico in Rome, where they play against each other in a match called the Derby della Capitale. This stadium also hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics and the 1990 FIFA World Cup final. Another club, Frosinone, also plays in Serie A outside of Rome.

Rome holds many international sports events. These include the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico, the Rome ePrix for Formula E racing, matches for the Italian national rugby team in the Six Nations Championship, an international horse show in Villa Borghese, the yearly Golden Gala Pietro Mennea athletics event at Stadio Olimpico, and the Rome Marathon that starts and finishes in Via dei Fori Imperiali.